


T is for Tanker

by C130



Series: Alphabet Advent Calendars [2]
Category: Cars (Movies), Planes (Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-08-24 15:09:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 16,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16642586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/C130/pseuds/C130
Summary: From the silly to the serious, firefighting aircraft have a lot of terms that describe their job. In this collection of one-shots, will be exploring the day to day life of eyes in the sky 1 letter of the alphabet at a time. This story is my Christmas gift to you, so I will be posting regularly in order to get all the chapters up before the first of the year. So let's make sure our tanks are full because it is time to soar into action.





	1. A is for ATIS

**Author's Note:**

> Well, between recovering from a concussion, trying to keep up with work, and fulfilling my volunteer search and rescue duties writing fanfiction took a back seat. Luckily a couple of plot bunnies did decide to visit me more the last couple of months so I am ready for this years story advent calendar. Because I am going to be out of internet range for the first two weeks of December I am making up for that by starting to post some of the 26 shorts now. I hope that everyone enjoys this year's Christmas gift. Oh, and I apologize for the fact the first chapter is the roughest ones, I couldn't get it exactly how I wanted it. 
> 
> Dedication- To my brothers and sisters on the line. Everyone in the SAR community is praying for your safety.

As much as the Piston Peak Air Attack team might prefer to say at their home turf, on particularly intense fire years it wasn’t usual for a couple of vehicles get pulled from the park to perform fire suppression duties somewhere else in the state. Dusty just happened to in at Piston Peak completing his annual recertification when the National Interagency Fire Center had pulled part of the team to support fire suppression near Sacramento. After looking at the regional needs, Chief Blade Ranger had loaned Cabbie and Dusty to the Cal Fire team working the Sacramento fire, with the promise that they could tap Windlifter for specialized lifting tasks.

Based on the Cal Fire’s IC reaction when Cabbie and Dusty arrived, he had probably been hoping for support helicopters. Still, the two planes had immediately put to work, sent to a regional hub to pick up a load of critically needed themo-gell mix that was being shipped to them from Arizona. For Dusty, the idea to fly into San Francisco International Airport was particularly stressful. SFX was an airport was purely designed for airplanes a completely different weight class. Under normal circumstances, a tiny plane like him wouldn’t even be allowed anywhere near the flight pattern.

“Are you sure that it is okay for me to be your wingman on this mission…” Dusty asked the larger plane as they made a beeline towards one of the busiest airports on the continent. “I mean I could stick around camp and wait for you to get back.”

Cabbie gave Dusty a good look and gave a slight roll of his eyes. “You are a firefighter on duty the tower isn’t going to think twice about it.”

“Still…”

“Are you this nervous flying into a major airport when you are racing?” Cabbie pushed.

“No, but they stop the long distance traffic when they…”

“And do you make a fuss when you have to make a pit stop at one of the bigger airports when you are flying cross country.”

“No, but I always pick regional airports that have a whole lot of small aircraft traffic and San Francisco International an airport that is exclusively for the big passenger and cargo planes.” Dusty shrugged his wings. “To be honest, I am kind of surprised that they are letting a plan of your size to land.”

Cabbie actually snorted in response to that comment. “Where do you think I pick up and drop off the smokejumpers at the edge of the season?”

“…Um…” The SEAT shifted uncomfortably under the Jump plane’s gaze.

“San Francisco International Airport.” Cabbie finally filled in when it was clear that the smaller plane was tongue tied. “Yes, I could drop them off at one of the smaller regional airports, or even at Fresno, but both Blade and I agree that the best way to keep the gravel munches out of trouble is to get them on a direct flight back to their hometowns.”

“And they are okay with that?”

“Who?”

“The airport?”

 “As long as you pay the landing fee, follow the rules, and don’t mess with their traffic patterns too badly I don’t think they care who lands at their airport.” As the older plane spoke, he could tell that Dusty bristled at the word landing fee. “Don’t worry about the fee. They usually wave it for government service planes, and always wave it for aircraft that are currently on a Lifeguard designated mission. The Thermo-gell is mission critical, and no tower jockey is going to make a fuss about us utilizing their airport if it helps to save a few more homes.”

“If you say so…”

“I do.” Cabbie started to warm up his engines, then the old plane smirked. “Oh, and we will review your radio skill when you get in the air because you need to work on receiving ATIS transmissions.”

“But…” Dusty tried to counter, but Cabbie was going to have none of that.

“No buts about it. You need the practice.”

* * *

**_Term_** \- ATIS- _Automatic Terminal Information Services, known as ATIS, is a special system used to broadcast information about an airport. The repeating radio message includes information such as the current weather, active runways, NOTAMs, and available approaches. Pilots are usually to listen into the ATIS report before contacting control tower._  


	2. B is for Bingo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dusty was the fastest member of the Air Attack Base, Blade was the most maneuverable...and Windlifter was the slowest by a pretty wide margin.

Everyone in the park knew that while Dusty was the fast aircraft that Piston Peak Air Attack Team ever had, and Blade Ranger was the most maneuverable, if you needed someone to do the heavy lifting you called Windlifter. The Skycrane comfortable carry a small building, and could probably lift Cabbie if the cargo plane ever got stuck. The heavy-lift helicopter was an incredibly important part the team…but while he was clearly strong, Windlifter did have some disadvantages.

“ _Bingo._ ” Windlifter say over the radio without an ounce of emotion. “I need to find a place to refuel.”

 “Again?” Blade practically groaned. “Our last stop was like 2 hours ago.”

_“An hour and twenty-eight minutes, but my tank is now dipping into the quarter tank safety margin_.” The Skycrane stated.

“Alright.” The Chief sighed. “Cabbie where is the closest airport with jet fuel.”

_“You sent Cabbie and Dipper to power forward two stops ago.”_

“Right.” Blade memory came crashing back. He had sent both Dipper and Cabbie ahead because he didn’t want the entire team to be late for their reporting time with CalFire. Plus it was clear that while Cabbie was able to fly at the slow speeds required for Windlifter to comfortable keep pace, Dipper was not. The sea plane constantly had to fly figure eights and double back to stay with the group. Unfortunately, sending the two planes ahead had an unintended consequence. It left Blade and Windlifter without access to the base’s navigator and his encyclopedic knowledge of practically every airport in the western United States.

_“I am getting a ping from a regional airport.”_

“Well then get the tower on the horn and find out if they have the right kind of fuel.” Blade pushed wondering why his lieutenant hadn’t done so already.

_“Based on the ATIS the airport does not have a manned tower.”_

Blade stifled a sigh. Of course it didn’t. “I am going to go and check it out and see if it carries jet fuel.”

* * *

 

The leapfrogging between airports with jet fuel made the trip seem to drag on for an eternity, because every time Blade and Windlifter landed they had to wait for the correct fuel truck to be found, billed, and the Skycrane’s tanks to be filled. When they finally made it to the base of operation, the sky was beginning to darken, and it was a solid eight hours after Blade had sent the two planes ahead of them. Yet, on the approach they could clearly spot a familiar two-tailed plane was waiting for them on the tarmac. Blade wouldn’t be surprised if the retired warplane had been listening on their chatter with those overpowered radios of his.

“Have a nice flight?” Cabbie asked, his grin so artificially cheerful that it took Blade a ridiculous amount of effort not whack the plane up the fuselage. But he wouldn’t have become Chief if he hadn’t learned to tap down his more violent instincts. He could always drag Maru into helping him get even later, after all, revenge was a dish best served cold…

* * *

 

_**Term**_ \- Bingo- _Bingo is a term meaning you have hit the safety margin for your fuel and it is time to either turn around or find a place to land. This particular story was inspired by an interview I listened to about just how much of a pain in the but it is to transfer Skycranes. They are slow and they have fairly small tanks for their size. As a result, it is not uncommon for them to be transported by boat or truck if they need to be moved over a large distance._


	3. C is for Crabbing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the middle of a bad thunderstorm, Dipper has to battle against high winds in order to safely land.

There was a reason that mountain flying was considered to be some of the most dangerous out there, and at the moment the Piston Peak Air Attack team was in the thick of it. It was called a thunder hole, a collection of violent storms that had blossomed in the late summer heat and had now trapped them in ever growing winds.

The helicopters had it relatively easy. They were able to land and take shelter at a nearby campsite. The planes were not nearly as luck and storm was bouncing them across the sky like a child might throw toys during a tandem. Dipper was even convinced that she heard the normally unflappable Cabbie swear with a particularly bad set of turbulent had nearly caused the two of them to collide. As the storm got worse, it was clear that the former warplane's twin tails kept catching the wind and it was critical for him to land.

Cabbie's approach into the Air Attack Base's runway was painfully slow, even with his engines at full power. Nose in the wind and tails trailing him like a weather vane, the cargo plane was forced to approach the runway at a 30 degree angle and a steep angle of attack. Eventually, though landing gear slammed into the ground and Cabbie used the bounce to help straight himself on the runway. Unfortunately, the bounce did little to slow his momentum.

Finally on the ground Cabbie threw on his breaks, but even as his tires left black streaks on the tarmac behind him, it didn't look like he was slowing fast enough. The C-119's bulk rumbled past runway and on to the brightly painted stopway, before finally grinding to a halt, his front tire was resting on the gravel just beyond the end of the runway…and it was almost time for Dipper to see if she could also successfully make the approach. The older plane looked rattled, but he was on the ground and was determined to make room for Dipper to follow him in.

It was moments like this that really made Dipper miss landing on the water. When she was at sea, she could always land into the wind. Even on smaller water bodies like Anchor Lake she had the flexibility to chart her own course. That freedom made the limitations of the Piston Peak Air Attack Base even more intimating.

As Cabbie fought the wind to clear the runway for her, Dipper took one more pass and prepared to line up for landing. Entering the formation she had to crab hard, her nose was nearly at a 45 degree angle with the runway, to make a proper approach. Her flaps where hard down but the wind kept trying to push her up into the sky and for a few terrifying moments she was convinced that she had misjudged her angle. Then at the last moment, she pushed her rudder hard, straightening out her landing gear. She was finally relaxing into the landing…when the air dropped out from under her.

Dipper didn't even have time to scream has her tires hit the asphalt of the tarmac hard. She bounced, hard, then hit the ground with her tires once more. There were two more hard jolts her tires refused to stay on the ground and Dipper slammed on the breaks. She stopped quicker than Cabbie had, but it was still farther down the airstrip than she would have preferred. Shaking, the seaplane tried to catch her breath.

 _"Nice job kid, now get yourself into the hanger."_  Maru's voice crackled over the radio.

Dipper made a beeline for the shelter, because who was she to argue with a mechanic.

* * *

 _ **Term**_ \- Crabbing-  _A type of crosswind landing that involves an aircraft approaching the runway at an angle. Usually, an aircraft will try to straighten out right before touching the ground, but in really bad winds they will occasionally bounce on landing to reorient themselves. Crabbing is a challenging procedure. If done wrong there is a strong risk of damaging the planes wings or tail...or missing the runway altogether. If you want to see something impressive look up 747 airplanes crabbing on youtube._


	4. D is for Dead Reckoning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blade Ranger signed up for the for the Midwest Wildfire Training Program to escape the stares at home...only to get stuck with a trainer who seemed to treat him with kid gloves. Otherwise, known as that time that Mayday gave Blade lecture because he was being too stubborn for his own good.

It was pitch black under the hood. All Blade could see was the instrument panel as he tried to navigate the obstacle course for what seemed like the hundredth time.

 _"You have no slagging idea where you are, do you?"_  The voice on the other side of the radio didn't sound particularly amused.

"Of course, I…" Everything around Blade Ranger when from black to flashing red and the word's you have crashed flashed a crossed his instrument screen.

" _It is very difficult to take you seriously when you keep flying into simulated mountains."_ The voice crackled over the connection. " _Take few minutes, think through what you did wrong and then come out so we can discuss it."_

Blade winced at that particular statement. While the helicopter had a pretty thick skin when it came to be yelled at, his trainer-an ancient looking fire engine named Mayday, had never once raised his voice. Instead, the old firefighter would look at him with calm patience and disappointment. It guilt tripped Blade so badly that he honestly wished that Mayday would start acting like some of his former producers and directors so that he could stay angry with him.

Scratch that. What Blade really wanted was to be treated normally. He knew that the fire school was treating him with kid gloves and at the moment that was frustrating the slag out of him. From private testing sessions to extra tutoring from Mayday it was clear that he had become in the instructor's pet project. And he didn't have a clue whether it was because of the fact he was a 'celebrity' or if it was because everyone had heard about what had caused previous career to come to a fiery end, even if he doubted that they would ever truly understand exactly how much he had lost in that crash…

Honestly, the Midwest Wildfire Training Academy probably wasn't the best fit for him. If he wanted to become a serious wildfire helitanker he probably should have applied for the Grand Canyon Helicopter Training Academy with the US Park Service or signed up for the Utah Fire and Rescue Academy…but they both had waiting lists and he needed to get away from California fast. He couldn't stand the pity or the stares any longer.

Sadly he was only getting stared out at a new location. Which of course brought him to the current moment…sitting in front of a worn flight simulator…staring sullenly staring at a trainer who probably hadn't take to the air once in his life.

"Blade…" The old trainer's suspension creaked as he settled lower on his suspension. "I am going to be frank with you. It is okay to admit that something is outside of your comfort zone and that you honestly don't know what you are doing. I know that you have a chip on your blades. You feel that given your past you have to show everyone else up…"

"I…" Blade tried to protest at that.

"Blade Ranger, shut up." Mayday said flatly not giving the helicopter any room to protest. "Chrysler, you are one of the most stubborn trainees I have ever been saddled with. Listen to me, firefighting is about teamwork. No one, not even the air boss has all of the skill sets. That is why there are tankers and bird dogs, navigators and weathermen. Everyone on that team has specific roles and because they figure out which skills they are good at and specialize everyone benefits.

"It is okay to admit that you are night a good night flyer. That way when you do get stuck in a situation where you do have to fly in the dark you will understand your limits, rely on your team's navigator, and hopefully won't try to be a cowboy." Mayday's expression softened for a moment before turning hard. "I have had too many of my friends and trainees die on the line of duty because they weren't because the misjudged their skills were not honest about an injury. More often than not their stupidity got others around them killed as well. And Blade, if I ever hear that you were that stupid I promise I will come stomp on your grave. Am I clear?"

"Crystal." Blade practically growled.

"Good." Mayday smiled. "Now I want you to try the simulator again."

"What?" The helicopter looked at his trainer blankly. "I thought you…"

"You thought what?" Mayday chuckled at the former actor's confused expression. "That just because you have the navigation ability of a ball bearing that you could stop training? Even if you never receive a qualification for night flying, it is important for you to be familiar enough with protocols to follow the lead of others in an emergency. So, get back in there and try again."

This time Blade didn't even bother complaining as he rolled back into the simulator.

* * *

 _ **Term**_ \- Dead Reckoning-  _Dead Reckoning is the ability to navigate without using visual cues and landmarks. It is a required skill in order to complete night, bad weather, and open water flight certification. Having chatted with a number of firefighter pilots very few of them ever became specialists in this type of flight, preferring to spend their time training on other skills. That said, I have flown with a couple of pilots that trained in open water search and rescue and their ability to know exactly where they are at any given moment is kind of frightening._


	5. E is for ELT

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hide and seek...Piston Peak Air Attack Style

If the members of the Piston Peak Air Attack Team weren't already feeling under pressure, the whoop-whoop of the Emergency Locator Transmitter siren that had been blaring across 121.775 Mhz for the past hour was enough to create tension. All the aircraft's frustration levels were increasing, as the search for the beacon's source continued.

" _Cabbie, please say that you have some more information for us_." Blade said eyes on the forest looking for any signs of a vehicle in distress.

 _"Still trying to localize the signal, but I am fighting a whole lot of interference."_  Cabbie reported from the grid he was flying about 1000 feet above the highest peak in the park.  _"Based on the scatter, I think we are dealing with some significant signal bounce."_

_"Keep on and let me know the moment that you are able to localize things further."_

_"Rodger that."_ Cabbie acknowledged the command and waggled his wings as he passed the rest of the searchers. Trusting that the cargo plane had his portion of the operation under control Blade turned his attention to the rest of the crew.

_"Does anyone have eyes on the target?"_

_"Negative."_  Windlifter was the first to interject, followed quickly by Dusty.

_"Still working on it."_

_"Nope."_ Dipper admitted halfheartedly a couple of rotor beats later.

 _"Well, we are fighting daylight people. Keep your eyes peeled and your focus on the mission."_  Blade spoke as he skimmed a ridgeline looking for a sign of a vehicle in distress.

 _"Times up."_  Maru chimed in.

 _"We still have enough sunlight to continue for at least another 30 minutes."_  Dipper argued earnestly.

 _"But then the smokejumpers would have to drive home in the dark. Why don't just admit it, the kids won this round."_  Maru was clearly amused by the aircrafts' frustration.

 _"Understood."_  The Chief was clearly not pleased with being beaten.  _"Dynamite, please transmit the latitude and longitude of your current location."_  She did…and none of the planes were particularly impressed.  _"We will talk about this when we get back to base."_

* * *

"Hey, you told us to give you a challenge." Dynamite grinned as she led her rowdy team back on to the base.

"Yes, but how many airplanes do you know regularly fly through tunnels." Blade shoot back from where he had parked himself with a mug of coffee.

"DUSTY DID IT." Avalanche practically announced…which of course, made everyone in base stare at the air racer…which made Dusty look as though he would happily sink into the pavement.

Blade's voice interrupted everyone. "I didn't say it was impossible, I ask about how many airplanes  _regularly_  fly through tunnels. And given how extraordinarily stupid the Champs stunt was in the Himalayas I doubt that he will be repeating that." The Chief's icy glare pinned the SEAT. "Right?"

"Yes…I mean no…" Dusty cleared his throat. "I am never, ever going to try to fly through a tunnel like that again!"

"Good." Blade turned his glare back to smokejumpers. He opened his mouth to speak again but didn't get the chance.

"While we probably will never see an aircraft ELT coming from a tunnel, we now know what an EPIRB signal would look like of a boat ever gets stuck in one of the parks tunnels." Cabbie interjected. "So while I believe we can discuss the value of this particular exercise long into the night, I for one am hungry."

Several members of the smokejumper team burst into giggles. Cabbie took the moment to give the Chief a look that defeated any arguments that Blade might have. They could argue about tactics tomorrow at the debrief, but for now, it was time to let the smokejumpers bask in their victory.

* * *

 _ **Term-**_  ELT-  _Emergency Locator Transmitters, ELTs, are radio beacons that can either be manually or impact activated. They are a critical piece of safety equipment for aircraft as the radio single will help rescuers locate a crash site. This said it does take a fair amount of practice to be able to locate an ELT, so search teams regularly practice locating them. One of the most popular methods of practice is to give a ground team a practice beacon which transmits on the 121.775 Mhz (the designated practice frequency) and then have the aircraft play hide and seek with them. Sometimes the planes win and sometimes the ground team does. Either way, both teams get a lot of practice maneuvering. Oh, and in addition to ELTs there are also EPIRBs (Emergency Positioning Indication Radio Beacons) and PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons). The EPIRBs are used for boats and the PLB are used for people, cars, or other vehicles...and while they all have different names the broadcast on the exact same frequency, with the same alert sounds, and are basically the same technology._


	6. F is for Feather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper was sure that her winter job was just about perfect...and the made her feel a bit guilty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I had a lot less internet access on my trip than I planned. Sorry about that.

It was a great gig. Dipper got to fight fires all summer up in California and spend most of the winter months delivering fuel around the Caribbean. The two-week refit from water to fuel tanker even meant that she practically missed the entire Atlantic Hurricane season.

By the time that April came around, she would be sick of the salt and tourists (though the warm, crystal blue water and powdery soft sand would never get old), and she would be ready to head back to the mountains. But for now, she was going to enjoy every moment of her downtime here. She was going to flirt with some of the hot, local Grumman Gooses, drinking Pina Coladas while sprawled on the beach during her days off, and hop between pictures islands when she was on duty.

It was such a wonderful life; Dipper actually felt a bit of pity for her fellow team members. The ones working construction or fought fires with another crew during the winter…she especially felt sorry for those trapped in the icy clutches of Piston Peak's mountains as they manned the base during the off season. Between the isolation, the constant work of keeping of runway clear of ice and snow, and the need for antifreeze showers, winter duty at Piston Peak sounded like the seventh layer of hell to Dipper.

In comparison, her current flight plan was flying her through paradise. Here at sea level neither the warm, moist air or the belly full of fuel really cut into her power to cut through the air. The sea breezes gave her lift and the boats dotting the shipping lanes made navigation easy. On days like this, Dipper felt incredible glad to be alive.

Feathering her prop, she slipped into a powered glide. With practiced grace she made a final approach, allowing the sea to kiss her belly before raising her flaps and settling into the water. As the sun warmed her wings, she couldn't help but feel incredibly blessed and a little bit guilty that she could share this moment with her friends.

But even as the sadness swept like a wave over her, the dock in front of her gave her an idea. This island was known for making incredible rum…so it was probably time to do some Christmas shopping during her lunch break.

* * *

 ** _Term-_  **Feather-  _Feathering refers to reducing the amount of drag that a propellor produces by changing its angle of attack. The only aircraft with variable-pitch propellers can technically feather their prop (Dipper, Dusty, Windlifter, and Blade). That said some aircraft (think Cabbie or Skipper) can achieve a similar effect by adjusting his propeller governor. Because the adjustable governor is unique to WWII and early Korean era aircraft, the action of reducing drag is usually just colloquially referred to as feathering for simplicities sake._


	7. G is for Ground Cushion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blade is faced with a particularly difficult rescue.

Every helicopter knew the jokes. That they didn't really fly, instead they were so ugly that the earth was repelled. What the planes that did the teasing didn't realize was that helicopter flight was a whole lot more complicated than fixed-wing flight. Blade was currently fighting one of those challenges, which was terrible timing.

"If you want me to actually catch the hoist you are going to have to move at least three more feet to the left." Dynamite's voice was incredibly calm given just how precariously she was perched on the edge of the cliff and the strength of his downdraft. Honestly, Blade was pretty impressed that the ATV had been able to get down there in the first place.

Taking a deep breath, Blade eyed the slope and made a judgment call. "Alright, let me come around for another try."

"Roger." The smokejumper captain said, leaving the 'please hurry' part unspoken. The complexity of this particular rescue was pushing everyone to their limits and while Dynamite had secured the fallen car to the rock wall, but given how badly they were squirming who knew how long that anchor point would hold.

No one was completely sure how the compact had driven off of the trail, but the vehicle had been incredibly lucky. Instead of plunging over 250 feet from the overlook, they had been caught by a tree. The branches had done an impressive amount of damage but had stopped the car experience certain death smashing into the rocks at the bottom. Another tourist had heard the panicked vehicle's screams and the Air Attack Team had been called in to facilitate the rescue.

From the moment they arrived on scene, it was clear their initial plan wasn't going to work. The canyon was too narrow for Windlifter to make an approach. The cliff was also too steep and craggy for Avalanche drag vehicle up to safety. Their only option left was to get creative.

Dynamite had attached harness, and using Avalanche as her anchor, repelled down to the car. She then did her best to buy the rest of the team more time by attaching safety lines to the car and pounding them into the rock. The little ATV also did her best to patch the worst of the leaks and calm the panicked car, but she wasn't particularly successful at those two tasks and was now sporting a couple of extra dents for her effort.

The rest of the team made the most of the extra time they were given. Cabbie circled above trying to figure out what the most effective approach would be and keeping constant communication Dynamite and Avalanche on the ground. Windlifter transported the rest of the smokejumper team to the trailhead so that they could create a clearing for the injured car to be transported to. And Maru worked his welding magic on Blade's hoist which would hopefully allow the helicopter to carry the full vehicle's weight. Everyone had raced against the clock which brought them to the current moment…

"Okay Dynamite, I am coming in for another try." Blade commented as he nudged his way into the crevice in the earth. Fighting the uneven ground cushion he tried to swing his hoist in range of Dynamite's grasp. The first two tries failed, but after giving his tail rotor just a little bit more power, the ATV finally caught it.

"Got it!" Dynamite shouted as soon as it was clipped to her chassis. Relieved Blade was able to move a bit farther away from the cliff wall to where the current of air wasn't nearly as fears. Gingerly the ATV picked her way along the cliff and attached the clip to the axel of the vehicle. "Vehicle is secure, are you ready for me to disconnect the safety lines."

"Ready when you are." Blade sucked in air through is teeth and braced himself to take the weight of the car. He knew that it was going like slag, but at the moment they didn't really have a choice.

Dynamite started to unclip the lines, first quickly then slowly. She hesitated slightly as

They were fine for a moment…then a branch under the car snapped and Blade's vision exploded into stars. Blinded by pain Blade moved in the only direction he knew was safe, up. His engine roared and rotor screamed as he pushed himself to full power. The cable holding the car below him hummed with protest as the helicopter clawed his way into the sky.

Blade could feel the car struggling below him, but he didn't have the time or the focus to deal with that at the moment. The pain in his hoist was getting worse and he needed to get the car he carried safely to the ground before it failed completely. Blinking the tears from his eyes, Blade located the clearing just a few hundred meters away. In agony he moved his precious cargo the landing spot, then he lowered car slowly, relaxing only when the line finally went slack. With practiced grace Blade draped the line out along the ground as he sank into the newly made clearing. With a soft thump, his tires touched the ground and he cut his engine.

"You okay?" Maru asked, making direct eye contact with Blade. The helicopter didn't waste his breath; instead, he gave a quick affirmative bob with his rotor. The mechanic's eyes lingered on him for a moment, as though he really didn't trust what Blade was telling him. "Okay, let me know if that changes."

With that the Maru turned his whole focus to the broken car in front of him, leaving Blade to sit and breathe through the pain of his damage hoist. As the Chief settled lower on his tires, he couldn't help but reflect on what he had just done. Helicopter flight may be a lot more complicated than fixed-wing flight…but despite having a host of unique challenges, it also gave Blade the skills he needed to save lives.

* * *

_**Term**_ \- Ground Cushion-  _Ground cushion, also referred to ground effect, is the unique type of turbulence that is created under a helicopter as it approaches the ground. The cushion of air can make it difficult to precisely control a helicopter because it increases the amount of lift the helicopter experiences in the direction of the rotor's tilt. The ground cushion can be particularly difficult to manage when flying near slopes because half of the aircraft can be experiencing the cushion while the other half of the aircraft does not._


	8. H is for Hypoxia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maru makes a mistake and it nearly costs one of the Air Attack Team their life.

"Get him out of the sky now!" Maru practically screamed over the radio, hoping that it wasn't too late, praying that his neglect had would not lead death or permanent injury to one the members of their team. "For Chrysler's sake get Cabbie on the ground."

Every in aviation book said that a plane should fly above 10,000 feet for more than an hour, they had left Cabbie up there as a high bird for close to three. To make matters worse sometime during the period that mechanic was tines deep trying to stabilize their youngest smokejumper, an ATV named Dynamite; the C-119 had gone quiet. Now Maru was kicking himself for getting task saturated and for missing the signs that their cargo plane was slipping into hypoxia.

_"I have eyes on him now."_ Chief Whirl's gravelly voice replied. " _Bringing him down now."_

The C-119's flight path was uncharacteristically wobbly, which only heightened the mechanics underlying feeling of dread. Still, under the Chief's careful nudging, the cargo plane was able to successfully guide him for a landing. As soon as Cabbie had stopped rolling, Maru started to bark orders. Due to Blade's inability to pull water off Anchor Lake he was tagged to assist Maru. The Chief and the base's pair of SEATs headed back out into the air to keep the fire in check until county back-up could arrive.

In the chaos, one of cabbie's red-rimmed eye slide open only to slide shut a moment later. It was a subtle indication that the plane was aware of his surroundings, but Maru wasn't going to let go of it.

"Cabbie!" Maru barked before putting together a creative stream of swear words in a host of languages under his breath. "Get your eyes open."

"I am trying, but the light hurts." Cabbie's slurred, but he managed to crack one eye open.

"That is better." Maru gave a quick nod and started to pull out instruments. "Blade, concussion questions now."

Blade started rattling off questions about dates and facts, as Maru started his diagnostics. Cabbie was clearly doing his best to answer, but due to pain and exhaustion, Blade was having to ask many of the questions more than once. The helicopter was doing a pretty job hiding his concern, but Maru could see the Blade eyes occasionally flicker towards the mechanic indicating how worried his best friend was.

* * *

It wasn't until the wee hours of the morning that Maru was finally able to take a moment to realize the magnitude of what had just happened. For the realization that he had nearly gotten one, possibly two of his team members killed, and put the rest of the crew in danger…all because he had allowed himself to get task saturated.

Maru had worked late into the night to make sure that his two patients were stable, but even after consuming several cups of coffee his normally steady tines were becoming shacking. Eventually, the smokejumpers had put their treads down and insisted that Maru get some sleep. They would burn the midnight oil keeping an eye on their jump plane and their junior member, and if either started to have issues during the night, they knew where the mechanic slept.

As Chief Whirl appeared out of the darkness, Maru flinched, ready for the tongue lashing of his life.

"How are our people doing?" The exhaustion in the voice made Maru instinctively look up into the tried face of his Chief.

"It was touch and go there for a moment, and Dynamite and Cabbie are going to be in a lot of pain tomorrow." Maru scrubbed his face with his tine. "But I am pretty sure that there isn't going to be any lasting damage to either of them."

"What is the ETA for getting my vehicles back?"

Maru took a moment to think, settling lower on his tires. "Cabbie is going to be out for at least the next two to three days. It is just not safe to have him fly with as bad of a headache as he is under and I suspect he is having tunnel vision issues that he isn't being fully honest about. This is one of those moments where his warplane cultivated stubbornness is probably going to keep him on the ground longer than if he would just open up and let me know what hurts."

"Sounds like we at least know that his high altitude run didn't harm his personality." Whirl snorted, but sober a bit. "And Dynamite?"

"Depends on a number of factors." Maru admitted. "Landing on that branch did a number on her back axil and suspension, but it is the damage to her fuel tank that is the most concerning. If it was just a puncture, I would be comfortable just patching it, but given how big the tear was and that she is a firefighter I would like to completely replace it. This means that I either put in an aftermarket tank, one that can keep it up with her lifestyle, or I machine a tank from scratch."

"That is a decision that can wait until tomorrow. But for now, there is something I need to say." Chief Whirl's voice darkened, and Maru was sure that he was now going to be chastised for his mistake. "I am so sorry that I wasn't able to give you the resources to do your job properly."

"I did my best…" Maru tried to explain himself, but then what the Chief said finally filtered into his brain even if he wasn't fully able to believe it. "What?"

"Maru, you do incredible work, and sometimes we forget just how many hats you wear on base. It was a failure on my part that I didn't realize that you had crossed the point of task saturation and as a result had to deal with two emergencies today instead of one." The aircraft looked at him profound sadness and guilt. "You know more than pretty much anyone on base how close our budget margins are…but that still doesn't change the fact that by having you pay dispatcher, paperwork runner, grounds keeping, etc., it prevented you from being able to focus on being the very best mechanic you can be. I hope that you can forgive your Chief for putting you in a compromising situation and not providing you with the resources that you need to focus on your primary duty."

"There is nothing to forgive." Maru said with complete honestly.

The Chief seemed to take Maru at his word, and the mechanic noticed during the following that various members of the Air Attack Base's team started to take on different tasks. The tended to be small tasks, a smokejumper volunteering to drop off forms at the lodge or one of the SEATs picking up dispatch duties for an afternoon so that Maru could grab a nap. Blade and Cabbie treated Maru the same way they always had, but it seemed like everyone else had gained new respect for their base mechanic after seeing just how far he had allowed himself to be pushed without complaint.

It wasn't until the next year that Maru realized just how much the 'hypoxia incident' had affected the team. When he combed through the budgets, he realized that several of the members of base had voluntarily taken a pay cut and with the money, they saved the base was going to be able to hire a dispatcher. Before Maru could argue with them, Patch had joined their team.

* * *

**_Term_** \- Hypoxia-  _A deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching tissues, hypoxia can be caused by a number of issues. In aviation, the primary concern with hypoxia is not getting enough oxygen when flying at high altitudes. This type of hypoxia is known as hypoxic hypoxia. While aircraft can fly above the 10,000-foot mark for short periods of time, pilots should not fly above that hight for more than an hour without either a pressurized aircraft or supplemental oxygen. Failure to do so leads will lead to breathlessness, altered state of consciousness, excessive fatigue, vision issues, and impaired judgment. Prolonged hypoxia can lead to brain damage and death. Unpressured aircraft operating above 10,000 feet, whether using supplemental oxygen or not, should be on regular communication with the ground. Most search and rescue protocols suggest that highbird aircraft should be talking to the ground at least once every 15 minutes._


	9. I is for IFR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blade clearly should not be trusted with directions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the shortest chapter of this story...and I will admit it was inspired because I may have pulled a 'Blade' while trying to do fieldwork in the field.

Just because you have the certification didn't necessarily mean that you should use it. This was especially true for Blade's Instrument Flight Certification. If Blade could see where he was going he was an excellent firefighter and a passible navigator. The moment that things got overly smoky or snowy…or dark…his crew mates started to get concerned about him flying into something. Unfortunately, they hadn't realized the full extent of Blade's inability to use instruments to navigate until the base had been completely socked in with fog.

"Okay Blade, only you could manage to get so lost on base that a search party is required." Maru snorted into his coffee after 'rescuing' the helicopter that had been wandering around on the tarmac for at least an hour.

"Anyone could have gotten lost like that." Blade spat back while trying to tamp down on his shivering.

"You just keep telling yourself that." Maru said as he left Blade to brood in the main hanger. "You just keep telling yourself that."

* * *

_**Term-**_  IFR-  _Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) are the regulations used to govern flight in low visibility situations. Because you can't use your eyes to navigate you have to rely on the instruments in your cockpit to figure out where you are and safely navigate hazard. A lot of firefighting pilots and some helicopter pilots are instrument rated, but fully realize that just because they have it doesn't mean that they can safely use it in an emergency. As a result, the vast majority of firefighting flights especially helicopter flights follow Visual Flight Rules (VFR)._


	10. J is for Jink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dusty's celebrity causes problems on base.

It was moments like this that really made Blade glad that he had stopped being a celebrity well before the internet took over everyone's life. The Piston Peak Air Attack team had spent the last week fighting some fast-moving fires that were encroaching on the park. Blade had also been riding herd on a new cohort of trainee firefighting aircraft, because for some reason the National Park Service had decided that Piston Peak was a good training ground for greenhorns. Oh, and to top everything else off, this was also the week that the Base's most famous trainee returned for recertification.

While everyone would openly admit that Dusty had mellowed overtime and was starting to become a solid teammate, everyone could do without the constant line of lookiloos that seemed show up at every fire Blade assigned him to. Dipper finally tuned them into what was going on. Apparently, there was a popular 'Track Dusty' website that regularly reported sightings of the racer. Sadly knowing how Dusty was getting tracked didn't stop him from getting chance, and that meant that unless the racer was actively fighting a fire or completing a task to renew his certification, he was pretty much stuck on base.

This lead to the next issue…being stuck on base was driving Dusty stir crazy. After some thought, Blade had assigned Dusty to morning patrol in the hope that racer could get some space to stretch his wings a bit. And at the beginning, the plan had been successful, but by day three the celebrity chasers had figured out Dusty's routine.

Now the Champ's morning flight resembled an obstacle course more than a patrol. The nimble plane raced across open space and swooped up canyons in order to avoid being seen. When he was spotted, that is when the real show began. Dusty would dance across the sky, jinking to lose the aircraft that were tailing him, leading them on a wild goose chase.

This type of situation could easily become a dangerous game, so each morning Blade woke early to keep an eye on the racer as he did his rounds. It wasn't too long before Blade had company on the tarmac. Maru settled next to him with a still steaming mug in his tines. They sat in companionable silence for the next ten or so minutes as they watched Dusty Crophopper practically dance across the sky in an attempt to stay out of the sightline of the planes perusing him. Eventually, the mechanic started to shift on his tires.

"Do you think that the Champ has gotten enough exercise for the morning?" Maru broke the silence.

"Probably." Blade admitted after talking a long sip from his mug.

Maru took a gup of the coffee before pushing the Chief further. "Are you going to do anything about that?"

"I will let Windlifter know that it is his turn to chance off the paparazzi." The helicopter didn't so much as twitch as he spoke.

Maru nodded into his coffee cup, as though he approved of Blade's choice, because everyone knew that the big Skycrane made an excellent bouncer. "And when where are you planning on doing that?"

"When I finish my coffee."

Eventually, Blade moved from his spot on the tarmac, and the thunder of Windlifter's broke the morning quiet. A few moments later, Blade was settled right back on his corner of the tarmac with a second cup of coffee. He was in place just in time for Windlifter to intercept and glare down a pair of planes who had been attempting to chance after Dusty. A moment later they were making a beeline to the lodge at close to their max speed.

The recent fires, training a couple of new aircraft, and recertifying their most famous SEAT may have left the helicopter exhausted, but that only made moments of entertainment like this more precious.

* * *

_**Term-**_  Jink- _Jink is a quick flight maneuver used to evade a pursuer._


	11. K is for Knots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Smokejumpers weather a storm while Maru and Blade bicker

Though a rare occurrence; it was only a matter of time before Piston Peak's got hit by a particularly intense windstorm. The ones that carried desert dust across the Pacific Ocean and only seemed to gain more power as they swept inland. In these hazardous conditions, most of the park's roads had been closed, and all of the base's aircraft had the common sense to be snuggly enclosed in their hangers…which, of course, meant that the Smokejumpers were outside.

The time when they could take shelter hanger had long passed. Now if they tried to open the open their hanger's doors, there was a pretty good chance that a gust of wind could catch the building and cause all of the windows to burst. While some of the more destructive members of the base would have been delighted to see the display, they all knew that there wasn't any money in the base's budget to replace the windows and windows were something that Maru couldn't make in his mechanic's shop.

As the wind continued to increase in intensity, the Smokejumpers decided to take shelter under Windlifter's weight lifting gear. And because this particular crew of ground pounders never stayed idle for long, they decided to turn the storm into a game.

"THAT GUST WAS TOTALLY AN 8." Avalanche announced after particularly intense wave of wind tore a branch off a nearby tree branch.

"Hm, I don't think it was that intense. I am putting it as a high 7." Pinecone countered.

"Any other bets?" Dynamite eyed her team. When no one else spoke up the team lead called it in. "Okay Maru, what was the score?"

" _That last gust came in as 35.4 knots._ "

"That was a close one, but it looks like Avalanche picked the right number on the Beaufort scale. That said, Pinecone is still in the lead."

Another gust rumbled through the base sending all the surrounding trees into motion. "I am totally going to call that as a seven!" Drip chimed in before anyone else had a chance to talk.

* * *

In a hanger not too far away, Maru was taking advantage of the forced downtime to perform some of Blade Ranger's required annual maintenance. The helicopter was honestly one of his worst patients, and while the storm forced him to stay relatively still for the moment, it didn't stop him from constantly fidgeting. The fact that Maru was constantly being interrupted by the smokejumpers requesting an update on wind speeds was also not helping.

"Okay, Dynamite the last gust clocked in at 31 knots." Maru said over the radio with a sigh before getting back to work.

There were a few rotor beats of nothing but sound of clinking tools and howling wind, then Blade decided to start up a conversation. "So who are you betting on winning?"

"Normally I would put my money on Dynamite, she is after all the best-trained spotter in the bunch, but I have a feeling that she is being the responsible leader and moderating." Maru put down his tools and grinned. "And given how off some of Avalanche's answers have been, I think that Blackout is in the lead."

"I am putting my money on Pinecone." Blade drawled with carefully practiced indifference.

"So how much is it worth you?"

"I happen to know where a couple of high grade contraband are…" Blade started, the ghost of a smile dancing on the corner of his lips.

"Well played." Maru raised an eyebrow before turning his attention back to the work at hand. "Well played."

* * *

 _ **Term-**_  Knots-  _A knot is a unit of speed that equals 1 nautical mile per hour (or roughly 1.5 mph). It is a common unit used in meteorology, as well as maritime and air navigation._


	12. L is for LORAN

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cabbie longs for a piece of him which is gone.

It was like a part of his world had gradually gone dark. First one station went dark, then two then three and as the radio signals disappeared so did part of Cabbie's sense of place…sense of self.

One of the old warplanes first memories had been the hum of the LORAN system. A song that had let him exactly know what his place in the world was. That sense of place had only increased when he had joined the military and had his radio systems upgraded. A song that had once whispered to him blossomed into a full-fledged symphony. He could now hear stations half a world away and use their music to comfortably plot a course across wide expanses of seas.

At its peak, the LORAN system was a common language among all the vessels that plied the earth's oceans, and Cabbie could use its vocabulary to chat with everything from his fellow planes to ships and even submarines. As a navigator Cabbie was particularly in tune to every change that was made to the system, and could feel as his sense of place sharpened has the LORAN stations were upgraded to LORAN-B and then LORAN-C.

But then GPS was created and the LORAN system was considered obsolete. First North America shuttered their stations, then gradually the rest of the world went silent. Both Japan and China kept their chain of stations active for a little while longer, but even those would not last forever. One night Cabbie woke with a start. It took him a few minutes to realize why…a hum that had been a constant companion for his entire life was now gone.

Now the wavelengths were quiet and their loss weighed on Cabbie like a phantom limb… a hollow place that was only filled in dreams. Still, Cabbie never stopped closing his eyes and listening. Hoping beyond hope that he would hear an echo from his past. A song that would confirm exactly who he was.

* * *

 _ **Term**_ \- LORAN-  _Short for Long Range Navigation, the LORAN system was made up of a series of radio stations that broadcast using the 160-meter bandwidth. These by listening to these stations boats, subs, and aircraft were able to identify where they were on the globe. The system was used in the Atlantic, but was particularly critical for navigation in the Pacific Ocean until the creation of GPS. LORAN was discontinued in the US in 1980 but was continued to be used in China up until the early 2000s._


	13. M is for MOA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes complex problems have simple solutions

The MOA loomed on the map, a large hash-marked area on the sectional chart that blocked the air attacks teams flight path for a training they were required to report to. As they plotted possible paths, all the flight plans around the MOA would add at least a half day to their travel and would cause them to eat a ton of extra fuel. Unfortunately Blade, Dipper, and Windlifter hadn't found a realistic solution to the problem. Which of course meant it was time to pull in the navigator.

"Cabbie, can we get your opinion on something?" Blade paged.

" _Sure._ " The old plane rumbled over the radio and he quickly made his way from the Smokejumper's hanger to the main hanger. "What seems to be the problem?"

"We have a major navigational obstacle on our path. Any ideas?" Blade asked the navigator, motioning to the MOA.

"One moment." Cabbie disappeared for a few rotor beats. When he returned he drew a simple flight path across the MOA. "They are not going to be doing any training flights that day so we are authorized follow this flight path through the MOA. All we need to do is give the base commander a buzz as we are making our approach so that they can track us on their radar."

Without any further explanation the warplane rolled away to track down some more coffee, he left a speechless group of aircraft in his wake.

"Well, I guess that part of the flight plan has been taken care of." Blade finally cleared his throat, then he leveled a look at Windlifter. "Let's figure out where we are going to refuel."

* * *

 ** _Term_** \- MOA-  _Military Operation Areas, known as MOAs are locations of restircted airspace that are used for miltary activities such as training, testing, or combat. Aircraft are not allowed to enter a MOA without permission and are often given a specific flight path through the MOA if the are authorized to cross it. This helps to prevent in air collisions between military and civilian aircraft._


	14. N is for NORAD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On Christmas Eve Cabbie uses some of his special skills to spread some holiday cheer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was my favorite chapter to write. I hope that you will enjoy!

NORAD had many different jobs. It tracked space weather and helped to keep the air above North America safe. It tracked missiles and controlled military aircraft…but the best job it had in Cabbie's personal opinion was to track Santa.

The tradition had started over 60 years ago when a local department store had accidentally printed the direct number for the NORAD headquarters instead of to the Santa line that they had originally intended. The soldiers at Cheyenne Mountain had taken the development in good humor and started to give the children updates about Santa's travels around the world.

It was a tradition that had grown as both technology, and interested had blossomed, until it required a large group of volunteers to help every child experience a piece of Christmas magic. Most of the volunteers would drive or fly to Cheyenne Mountain to help answer the constantly ringing phones through Christmas Eve. But if they had

"You have another call coming in."

Quickly Cabbie dropped his pencil and pushed away from crossword puzzle he had been working on. With practiced ease, he rolled out of his hanger, over to his radio set up, and nosed into his headset. He took a deep breath and answered the incoming call.

"Ho, Ho, Ho, Seongtancheol jal bonaeyo!" ( _Ho, Ho, Ho, have a good Christmas celebration_ ) The old war plane took advantage of his size to make his voice both large and friendly. It was a good effect and the children on the other end of the phone line giggled and Cabbie answered their questions and gave them updates on Santa. It almost made him sad that he needed to sign off of the call, but the Korean immigrant family on the other end of the line clearly had other festivities to get to so Cabbie signed off. "Hyuil jal jeulgiseyo!" ( _Enjoy the Holidays!_ )

Rolling back into the warmth of his hanger, it was clear that he had been joined by the base's two other winter residences. Both Maru and Blade were getting into the spirit of the evening by sipping eggnog, which judging by the angle of the Chief's rotors was probably spiked.

"Why ain't you two something out of a Rockafender panting?" Cabbie drawled as he closed the hanger door to keep out the heavily following snow.

"You could join us if you would like." Maru pushed a mug towards Cabbie, but the cargo plane gave a spin of his propellers to indicate no.

"I am still on duty for a couple more hours. But if this storm keeps up, I will happily join you all."

"Your loss." Blade spoke into his own mug before draining it…which pretty much confirmed to Cabbie that it was spiked.

The three vehicles enjoyed the warmth of Cabbie's hanger as thick blanket of snow covered muffled the sound of the storm outside. Every 40 or so minutes Cabbie would duck out and answer a NORAD Santa Tracker call in Korean before setting back in front of the warmth of the wood stove. As the night grew older, the plane bent his rule and allowed Maru to make him a few glasses of eggnog…but he also watched the mechanic like a hawk to make sure that he wasn't being too liberal with the high grade.

Eventually the joking quieted, replaced by Blade and Maru's quiet snoring. It was nearly three in the morning on base…midnight in Hawaii. The one hour when Christmas spread across the entire world. Cabbie's headset beeped on last time, indicating the last incoming call for the night.

 _"Thank you, Colonel McHale, for volunteering to help us again this year."_  The volunteer coordinator at Cheyanne Mountain was clearly tried, but also running on a Christmas high. " _You know how hard it is to make sure that we have all the language experts we need, and it takes a lot of stress off my shoulders to know that you will always be there to help with the Korean translation."_

"It is my pleasure, Betty."

" _I know it is_." The vehicle on the other end said warmly. " _But, still, it is greatly appreciated. I know that many of the Korean American families that call in love having you be the voice of Christmas for them_."

"They are truly the highlight of my holidays." Cabbie spoke, letting the words hang in the air for a few moments before continuing. "Well, I will probably have to fly avalanche duty tomorrow so I probably should hit the sack. I will speak with you next year during volunteer orientation."

" _Roger that._ " You could practically hear Betty smile tiredly on the other side of the phone line. " _Have wonderful Christmas and a safe New Year."_

With that they hung up, and Cabbie switched off his rig. While he probably should have hurried back into the warmth of his hanger, he lingered for a bit longer. It was cold, but not nearly as biting as the terrible blizzards he had experienced during the Korean War. After spending so many Christmas raining death on the country of Korea, Cabbie found it cathartic to be able to use his Korean language skills to bring joy.

As Christmas snow fell softly all around, Cabbie snuck back into the warmth of his hanger.

* * *

 ** _Term-_** NORAD- _The North American Aerospace Defence Command, abbreviated as NORAD, is an organization that is dedicated to the protection of North America's sovereign airspace. It is a joint effort between the US and Canada. It has also taken on the special role of tracking a protecting Santa since 1955._


	15. O is for Overshot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No matter how careful the Air Attack Team is, it is only a matter of time before a mistake is made.

There are a lot of PSA's about not driving while distracted…there were far fewer about doing so while flying. This was probably because every plane knew what the consequences of a momentary lapse in focus and that most of those consequences tended to be fatal. Sadly even knowing the risks didn't make planes immune to making mistakes.

The Piston Peak's Air Attack Base was at particular risk of experiencing these disastrous errors. The airstrip was narrow and tucked up on a cliff's ledge, the men and women who lived there often bent duty day rules while fighting fires, and even though Maru did his best keeping everyone in top condition, he was often working with subpar parts. Even though they used checklists and Chief Blade did his best to make sure that his people followed safety protocols to the letter it was only a matter of time that before someone slipped up.

Today, it was Dipper's turn.

Like most mistakes, it had started innocently enough. The team was exhausted after fighting back to backfires, but Dipper had taken damage to her left rear landing gear and it was making it difficult to get a good night sleep. The result was a very groggy seaplane who was struggling to keep up with the rest of the group. Unfortunately, the Piston Peak air attack team was perpetually understaffed, which meant that simply feeling under the weather wasn't a credible excuse for being grounded.

If Dipper had simply had to deal with exhaustion and some landing gear discomfort, she probably would have been fine. Sadly, the universe had other ideas. In the middle of fighting a fire her water discharge system jammed closed. Unable to dump any water, Blade Ranger sent her back to base for repairs. This is when things went from bad to worse.

No one knew if she had miscalculated her weight balance, been caught by an unexpected gust of wind, or dozed off for a moment, but whatever caused safely laps caused Dipper to completely overshoot the runway. At most airstrips, and overshoot would have been a minor emergency…at the base, it meant that the plane flew directly into a stand of trees.

For a few instants both Maru and Patch could barely believe what they had just witnessed. They sat in the tower, paralyzed by shock for a few rotor beats. Then Maru dropped his coffee mug causing it to shatter on the floor of the base's dispatch center. He was out the door and on his way to grab his crash response kit from his mechanics bay in less than 10 seconds. Patch was on the radio notifying Blade about the crash and calling for back up by the time that the door was swinging shut behind him. Pulling out a series of checklists, she transferred all of her dispatching duties to lodge and stepped into the role of the onsite Incident Commander.

Maru carefully approached the crash site, a muttering prayer under his breath and nervous hope against hope that everything would be okay. There wasn't any sign of fire, which was a good sign. The forest smelled of broken branches but lacked the distinct tang of spilled engine fluids. That increased Maru's certainty that Dipper's fuselage was probably intact and that she had probably survived the crash. Unfortunately, the mechanic also knew that just because a plane survived a crash didn't always mean that the life they experience afterward was worth living…

The mechanic trudged into the forest but while he found splintered and broken branches, he only saw a couple of fragments of yellow painted metal. He was confused…until he looked up. Hanging above him was a familiar shaped plane. Her wings had been caught in the branches and tail was pointing to the ground. It was an incredibly awkward angle for a plane to be in and it made it difficult for Maru to identify just how much damage had been done to her leading edges.

"Dipper?" The mechanic called in the hope that the plane was awake and could tell him what was wrong.

"Help…" The seaplane whimpered.

"Help is on the way." Maru tried to calm the obviously terrified plane. "Can you tell me what hurts."

"I am okay." Dipper voice indicated that things were clearly not okay, that she was instead on the edge of panic and was robbed of even the ability to shift her weight because of fear of an uncontrolled fall to the ground. "But I am kind of stuck and I would really like to be back on the ground."

"We are working on that. Just hang tight, just hang tight." With that Maru leaned into one of the solid pine tree trunks, relieved that the Air Attack team had just dodged a bullet and knowing that there was nothing that he could do until Windlifter arrived.

* * *

 ** _Term-_**  Overshot-  _Overshooting is a term used when an aircraft misjudges their landing speed/distance and attempts to land beyond the end of the runway. Small aircraft usually end up tangled in fences or trees when they overshoot the runway, but larger aircraft have ended up crashing into buildings or swamped in large bodies of water. Runways have a special area called a stopway that is designed to help reduce the damage to an aircraft that overshoots as it is considered to be one of the most common airport emergencies._


	16. P is for Payload

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cabbie's scream is one thing that Blade hopes to never hear again.

Chief Blade Ranger usually was comfortable with a fair amount of noise on his base. Generally, you knew that you were safe as long as you could hear the smokejumpers. After all, the ground pounders couldn't even sleep quietly to save their lives. The helicopter's hackles usually didn't go up unless the base got unusually quiet.

There were, of course, exceptions to that rule. When Windlifter yelled out a warning, you acted first and asked questions later, just like everyone knew that slag had just hit the fan when Maru sounded panicked.

It was the reason that the Chief dropped all the paperwork he had been working on when he heard the scream. The helicopter had never heard Cabbie shriek like that before, and the combination of surprise, shock, and pain that it communicated caused Blade's system's to kick into high gear. Throwing the hanger doors open the Chief didn't know what to expect…still he was completely unprepared for the sight he saw. While the area in front of the main hanger was partially white with suds, it was easy to pick out five very dirty smokejumpers and one very pissed off looking cargo plane.

"The next time you are that messy I am going to leave you all on lodge tarmac." Cabbie practically growled as Pinecone and Blackout worked on scrubbing out some particularly stubborn area of sap on his beaver tail.

"Keep telling yourself that." Maru chuckled he rolled with a tine full of solvents, when the mechanic noticed that the Chief had arrived he gave his friend a Cheshire grin. "Did we wake you from your nap?"

"I was working on paperwork." Blade shot back.

"Of course you were," Maru said with honey sweetness. "But given that you are out here I am sure that you want to get all the juicy details."

Blade just gave the mechanic an unimpressed look while Cabbie practically shot daggers at the tug. But it would be Avalanche who decided to continue the story. "YOU KNOW HOW THE SUPERINTENDANT INSISTED THAT WE HELP CLEAR SOME TREES THAT HE THOUGHT WERE INTERFERING WITH THE VIEW FROM THE LODGE? WELL, WE IT TURNS OUT THAT THEY WHERE A BUNCH OF REALLY BIG PINE TREES THAT WERE INFESTED WITH BARK BEETLE, SO IT IS PROBABLY A GOOD THING THAT WE BROUGHT THEM DOWN."

"And how did that lead to this particular scenario?" Blade pushed.

"Because," Dynamite huffed, "when pine trees are infested they produce an absurd amount of sap."

"Sap which gets all over; including the insides of unsuspecting cargo planes." Cabbie glared at his very lively payload.

"We got all sticky too." Drip and Pinecone argued in choirs.

"Yes, but you could have at least hosed yourselves down before you called for a ride." The old plane sighed in defeat.

"We could have." Drip admitted.

"But then we would have had to convince Cad to loan us a hose." Pinecone added.

"AND WHO WOULD EVER WANT TO DO THAT." Avalanche summed up the argument.

"And the scream?" Blade asked, trying to figure out what sappy trees had to do with the Cabbie's earlier disconcerting sound.

"OH, THAT?" Avalanche looked particular sheepishly. "WE MAY HAVE RUNOUT OF HOT WATER BY THE TIME WE WERE READY TO GET CABBIE WASHED OUT…AND WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE WARNED HIM JUST HOW COLD THE WATER WAS GOING TO BE…"

* * *

 _ **Term**_ \- Payload-  _An aircraft's payload is made up of its passengers and cargo._


	17. Q is for Queeze-Bag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is amazing how quick the jerks come out of the woodwork when you become popular.

It was truly remarkable just how the Piston Peak Air Attack Team's standing in the firefighting community changed after half the park burned down. Almost overnight they went from a relative backwater, a site that barely qualified to have a team of smokejumpers, to one of the premiere teams in the nation. It didn't matter that they were an oddball crew. They were the heroes of the hour, and there were plenty of people who wanted to take advantage of that.

The members of the Air Attack Team were not particularly ready to change though…a fact that could be clearly seen as they dug through the massive pile of applications that fall.

"They know that we currently don't have any smokejumper openings this year, right?" Dynamite eyed the large pile of forms that Maru had dumped in front of her.

"Yeah, but didn't stop people from mailing the things in." Maru stated with glee as he shoveled a few more forms in Cabbie's direction. The cargo plane took one good look at the size of the truck who was applying to become a jumper. With a roll of his eyes, he nudged the form into the reject pile…followed by every other form in his pile.

"I mean come on. I know a quarter of the people who are on this list and most of them are their department's queeze-bags. Even if we had the space, why in the world would we want to hire them?" Dynamite grumbled.

"I would suggest taking a look at the essay portion of the application for insight." Windlifter suggested from where he was actually editing an essay using a red pen. "Apparently many of these of our applicants believe that they are the greatest thing since 'sliced bread,' and have experience that will completely overshadow that of the rest of the team…sadly their lack of grammar does not give me confidence in their argument."

Everyone in the room other than Cabbie, stared at the helicopter like he had just sprouted a pair of wings for a moment. The warplane cleared his throat. "So professor, what grade would you give this lot?"

Windlifter paused for a moment then leveled a look at C-119. "I would indicate to the student that their work was unsatisfactory and require them to submit a revised draft by the end of the week. What is your opinion Colonel?"

"Honestly, I would send the lot back to basic training." The plane snorted.

"So why are we doing this?" Dynamite asked clearly fed up with the entire process.

"Because," Blade rolled in with a tray of fresh coffee, "it is a required part of our jobs."

With a grumble, the lead members of the air attack team settled back into their work.

* * *

_**Term**_ \- Queeze-Bag-  _A queeze-bag is a member of a team who is constantly complaining and trying to get out of work. They are usually the most disliked person in the group and have a bad enough reputation that other groups don't like working with them._


	18. R is for Ring Vortex State

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blade is faced with his worst nightmare. (Warning Maru fluff ahead)

Chief Blade Ranger had seen the aftermath of many vehicle crashes and…each and every one haunted him…but being witness to a helicopter crash in action held a completely different level of terror. Even know he could close his eyes and relive the crash that had taken Nick from him. He could see the moment that he lost control, could smell the smoke and taste the acrid ash of helicopter that was far past the point of saving. Though he thought of the crash far less now, when he did it still twisted deep inside him like a knife.

Now he was witnessing the demise of another helicopter…and to make the situation worse it was one of his team who was on death's door.

Blade didn't know how Windlifter had managed to get himself tangled in a vortex ring state, but every helicopter knew that when your rotors got engulfed by their own downwash they became incapable of creating lift. Even a full power the helicopter would stall out and plummet to the ground.

What hurt the most was hearing just how hard that the Skycrane was fighting to live. His powerful engines were clawing at the air with all of their might, but the harmonic vibration that Blade could hear let the Chief know that Windlifter rotor's were failing to make a purchase. It was only a matter of time before he would lose, and that time was probably measured in seconds.

Then the shriek of metal colliding with rock echoed across the cliffs and Blade chocked back a sob. But then like a phoenix raising from the ashes, Windlifter lifted clear of the deadly downdraft and flew into the sky.

"I think I should head back to base now." The Skycrane informed the Chief before shakily making his way back to the base and Maru's mechanics bay. He left Blade to stare at the wreckage of Windlifter's tank on the mountain ridge in wonder of the miracle that he had just witnessed.

* * *

Blade woke with a start when the door of his hangar slid open, still shivering from the night terrors that he been stocking him. A familiar shape could be seen in the light, and a part of the helicopter relaxed a bit. "Don't you need to keep an eye on Windlifter."

"Cabbie's with him." Maru said sliding the door hangar door shut behind him. "They are in the main hanger making sure that Windlifter gets enough high grade in his system to lubricate his engine, which given the stress he put it through it badly needed. I am planning on sending them to the VA tomorrow afternoon so that Windy can get a proper ultrasound and radiographic test for microcracks. If he passes, we should be able to get him back on the line as soon as his tank is repaired."

"Good." Blade muttered, exhausted from the day's emotional roller-coaster, but with no desire to go back to sleep.

"Blade, we are going to be short two aircraft tomorrow. You need to get some sleep." The mechanic seemed to sense the Chief's discomfort and rested a calming tine on his nose. Immediately, the helicopter found himself surrounded by the smell of oil, grease, and the orange scented soap that Maru always used. It was a calming scent, one that cut through his fear and made him feel safe.

"I don't know if I can sleep." Blade admitted, even as his eyes started to droop. "Every time I close my eyes I see his burning wreckage. I…" his voice cracked, "I don't know if I am strong enough to deal with that right now."

"Shhh…"

"But…" The Chief tried but his will to fight was completely deflated.

"We will deal with the buts tomorrow." Maru yawned and leaned into Blade's hatch. "For now let's see how much rest we can get."

Blade didn't know how long he stayed awake in the dark, but eventually the vibration of Maru's engine and the evenness of his breath lulled him to sleep. The helicopter still slept rough, with nightmares of Nick's death and Windlifter's near crash causing him to cry out. But every time he woke in his hanger's darkness he was surrounded by Maru's comforting scent and he felt the mechanic's comforting presences pressed against his hatch door. Blade never realized just how badly he needed Maru that night, but Maru did and he never left his best friend's side.

* * *

**_Term_** \- Ring Vortex State-  _The ring vortex state, also known as vortex ring state or settling with power, it occurs when a helicopter descends into its own backwash. As a result, the helicopter's rotors are unable to produce enough lift and the helicopter comes crashing to the ground. Only one helicopter is capable has a strong enough engine to power itself out of this type of vortex and that is an unladened Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane. So if you ever doubted that Windlifter had superpowers, you now have proof._


	19. S is for SAR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is what they trained for.

* * *

The members of the Piston Peak's Air Attack Team had settled into a comfortable group dinner when the alarm when the ELT went off, but they had trained for this and were ready to leap into action. So as Blade spoke to the national dispatcher, Cabbie started warming up his engines, and the rest of the team finished eating as fast as they could manage.

The cargo plane had already thundered down the runway and was gaining altitude by the time that the Chief was fully briefed on the situation. Blade called an impromptu briefing anyway, using his radio to keep the bases largest member in the loop.

"Cabbie, are you patched in?"

 _"I can hear you loud and clear. I am also picking up the ELT signal."_ Cabbie's voice crackled.

"Good." Blade took a deep breath looked at his people. "As you all know we have an active ELT. It is a 121.5 MHz beacon which was reported by an overflying commercial aircraft. Given the style of the beacon, we know that it is a civilian, adult aircraft. Unfortunately, we don't have a precise estimate about when it went down as the old style beacon isn't picked up by satellites." The smokejumper team lead raised a tire. "Yes, Dynamite."

"So given that it is dark out right now, how are we going to find them?"

"Good question. That really depends on where they are."

 _"I still need to triangulate the signal, but it looks like the plane clipped the ridge coming up over La Parrilla."_ As Cabbie spoke, Patch and Pinecone were already pulling out maps of the target area which all of the Smokejumpers started pouring over.

"Can you make a visual?" Blade pressed for more information.

_"Negative. It will require either sunrise or a team equipped with searchlights."_

"Understood, continue to stay on station and see if you can get me a GPS coordinate. Maru is going to stay up with you and help you monitor your fuel levels."

" _Understood. Cabbie out._ "

With the cargo plane taken care of, Blade turned his attention to the other members of his team. "The rest of you hit the hay. The ground team will need to be ready to hit the head trail that leads closest to the crash site at 4:00 am and unless we have weather issues we will have wheels up at dawn." Everyone looked at him with determination. "Now get to it so tomorrow we are ready to prove why the word 'Rescue' is in our job title."

* * *

 _ **Term**_ \- SAR-  _Search and Rescue, appreciated as SAR, is the act of trying to locate and save a person or persons who are currently missing. While it is not considered a primary duty of firefighters, it may be a secondary duty especially among firefighters who work in rural or remote areas._


	20. T is for Tanker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team get's called up for Blade's least favorite type of job

When the air tankers got called to fight a fire it was for one of four reasons.

The first was because the fire was small and remote. A firefighter might spend an entire day hiking up to a tree that had been set a light by lightning, while a helicopter could take a bucket of water and douse the flames in under an hour. Out of all of the reasons, this was one of the most anticlimactic…but it was also fairly satisfying to stomp out an entire fire in one fail swoop.

The second was when a fire was completely out of control. In this situation, it was often too dangerous for firefighters to be deployed on the ridge lines. It was the air attack teams' job to herd the fire away from communities and into areas that had already been burned or fire lines cut into the landscape. It was hot and difficult flying and out of any job assigned to an air attack team, this type of fire where most aircraft died on the line of duty.

The third was when an air tanker was when they were the last line of defense. When a fire had jumped the line and trapped a fire crew or when the flames were about to engulf homes, an air tanker was often the only hope left. A well place drop was often the only thing standing between life and death, between a family having a home or losing everything. These were the missions that caused the tankers incredible pain when they failed.

The fourth type of call out was Blade's least favorite, because it served practically no purpose. Unfortunately, that was the type of call they were responding to today.

"Have fun posing for the cameras!" Maru grinned at the uncomfortable looking team, a bowl of popcorn already in his tines. "I will make sure to TIVO every shot the local news broadcasts of you."

Blade actually bared his teeth and growled at the mechanic. "Maru drop it."

"Oh come on. We all know that the reason that you are fighting this particular fire is because some local officials want some flashy pictures of what they are doing to protect homes."

"But they don't even let us fight the fire in the places where we could make an actual impact." The Chief practically huffed.

"But you are fighting fires where you can inspire the next generation of firefighters." Maru gave Blade a final pat on the nose. "No, get out there, because the sooner you do your part, the sooner you can get back home."

* * *

 _ **Term**_ \- Tanker-  _Aerial tankers are planes or helicopter which are capable of carrying and dumping water or foam on an active fire. Tankers are divided into seven categories (Single Engine Airtanker, Large Air Tankers, Very Large Air Tanker, Supertanker, Water Scooper, Helitanker, and Helitack.)_


	21. U is for Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mechanics make the worst patients.

They say that mechanic's make the worst patients…and if the current situation was representative, then the saying was completely correct.

"Have you figured out where the bad shipment of avgas came from?" Maru asked as he tried to join Blade in the area of the hanger that he had set up as an ad hoc office.

"I am working on it." The Chief glared at his friend in the hope that he would settle back and relax for once. "Why don't you grab a nap or maybe watch some TV?"

When it was clear that Maru wasn't going to get any more information out of Blade, he stuck his tongue out at the helicopter and headed back to where the various consumers of avgas were laid up. Most of the groups were dozing. Dynamite's dry heaves had ended a few hours ago and Dipper's tanks had been pumped before the bad gas hit her engines. Patch was sprawled in front of the TV with the remote in one tine and a spare oil pan in the other.

Out of the group, Cabbie was probably the most miserable. The only bright spot of the whole situation was that his engines had ceased while he was still on the ground. If the bad gas would have hit his engines while he had been in the air with a cargo hold full of smokejumpers, there is a good chance that a recovery team would have had to scrape the lot of them off of a nearby cliff. Because their luck had held, the cargo plane was just sicker than a dog and stuck on the ground until Maru felt well enough to retune both of his engines. Which given how bad Maru was looking wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"We have got this." Pinecone practically begged. "Why don't you sit back and sip your dry gas?"

Maru of course, being Maru ignored the rake and continued to putter around the main hanger. Blade was about to lecture him again, when they got a call from Pulaski.

"Okay people, we have a runway campfire just below Railroad Ridge." Blade eyed his entire crew. "Everyone who is up is rolling out. Patch, you will be in charge of everyone stuck on base. Radio me if you need any backup."

"Understood." Patch replied muting her soap opera for a moment.

"Why does Patch get to be in charge while you are gone?" Maru whined

"Because, unlike you, I actually trust her to stay put." Blade said with a raised eyebrow.

"I…" Maru started, then he closed his mouth. "Actually that is a good point."

* * *

 _ **Term**_ \- Up-  _When a team is affected by injury or illness, a leader will determine how many members of the team are capable of responding to an emergency. The ones in good health are referred to as the folks who are Up._


	22. V is for VSTOL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Deere throws a kink into base operations.

* * *

It started out as a pretty average day. Most of the morning the various members of the Piston Peak Air Attack Team did little chores around base, the smokejumpers trained, the Chief did paperwork, and most of the aircraft took advantage of the down time to catch a nap. Around noon a fire got called in, and the whole crew were locked in and loaded in a matter of minutes. The helicopters took the sky followed by Dipper, while the smokejumpers grabbed their shoots and loaded into Cabbie.

It was a pretty average day…until a Deere rolled out onto the runway. Cabbie only had a moment to react. He didn't have enough room to break…he didn't have enough space to maneuver around the Deere…with those two options gone he only had one direction to go. Up.

The old plane's engines screamed with protest as he pushed them to their limits. His twin tails slammed into the ground has he changed his angle of attack and forced himself into the air. Even with those actions the rack on the Deere still grazed Cabbie's belly leaving a long scratch in his paint, but the cargo plane was so relieved that he had avoided the collision that he could barely stitch two words together. Regardless he knew he was injured and he suspected that his smokejumpers were probably a bit worse for wear. It was time to get his tires back on the ground.

 _"Would someone please get that Deere off the runway?_ " Cabbie tried and failed to keep his discomfort out of his voice.  _"I would really like to get back on the ground."_

 _"Cabbie, are you okay? Do you need one of us to come back?"_  Blade replied clearly concerned.

 _"No, I am fine, but you are probably going to need to run this fire without Smokejumper support."_ Cabbie tried to defuse the situation. The last thing he needed was to have the Chief hovering over everyone while Maru gave them a look over.

 _"Roger that."_ The Chief didn't seem to fully believe him, but knew enough to give the former warplane some space. _"Please let me know if that changes."_

_"Will do. Cabbie Out."_

By this time Maru had managed to chance off the runway allowing a very shaken up cargo plane and smokejumpers to glide in for a landing.

* * *

 _ **Term**_ \- VSTOL-  _Very Short Takeoff and Landing, abbreviated as VSTOL, is a type of flight only found in bush or military type aircraft. It allows the aircraft to take off and land in small, high altitude, or remote airfields. VSTOL capable aircraft often have one or more of the following characteristics that help them get in the air or break: Oversized flaps, overpowered engines, high swung wings, rocket boosters, and reverse thrust capability._


	23. W is for Wire Strike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Air Attack Team performs one of the worst parts of their job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story took a lot longer than I would have expected to write. Even when I thought it was finished, it kept drawing me back in to circle through the events over and over. In the end, given the subject matter, I think that it is appropriate that it took a bit of extra effort.

In Blade's opinion, responding to fatal crashes in the park was literally the worst part of his job…but it was an important part of his job none the less.

"If it is any comfort, it appears that he was killed on impact." Maru spoke from where he was sifting through the broken pieces of the young helicopter. The words helped a little; it was a well-known fact that over 60% of helicopter wire strikes proved to be fatal and some of those deaths were not pretty. Still, the kid in front of them wasn't that old; he probably hadn't been fledged for more than a year or two. Blade would have liked to have a chance to try to save him.

The way that Windlifter was sifting uncomfortably on the other end of the clearing indicated that the Skycrane was experiencing a similar amount of discomfort. For his cool exterior, Blade knew that the big helicopter felt the burdens of a death watch incredibly keenly.

"Thank you for your input. I will be sure to include your assessment in my report." The Chief acknowledged his mechanic and then rolling to the far end of the clearing in order to prevent his rotor wash from disturbing the crash site, as well as keep him clear of the surrounding power lines.

 _"Chief, do you have a moment?"_  Patch paged him over a private radio channel.

"Go ahead." The helicopter backed away from the wreckage so that he could give his dispatcher his full attention.

_"The Superintendent would like to speak with you at your earliest convenience."_

"Understood." Blade sighed. Everyone knew that when your boss said at your earliest convenience, they meant as soon as you could safely detach yourself from your current task. Given the sensitivity of the current task, Blade assumed that he needed to speak with Superintendent Jammer in person. With both Maru and Windlifter already on station and Cabbie circling above to control the local airspace, the Chief didn't have any excuses to delay. "What is the Superintendent's current location?"

 _"He is currently located at the lodge."_  Patch's formal response only cemented Blades hutch that Jammer wanted to discuss the crash.

"Rodger." Blade started to warm up his engines. "Please let me know that I am on my way. ETA 5 minutes."

_"Will relay the message. Patch out."_

The flight was uneventful. The skies were clear of lookie-loos and the forests below Blade were quiet. It didn't take the helicopter to pop over two ridges and into the lodge's designated flight pattern. As Blade came in for the landing it the Chief noted that Superintendent Jammer was not alone. He appeared to be quietly speaking to a helicopter…and one look at the helicopter livery indicated that they were probably related to the bird that was currently scattered across one of the park's cliffs. Blade wanted to swear under his breath, but his sense of professionalism prevented him from doing so.

The old ranger broke the ice. "Chief Blade Ranger, I would like to introduce you to Mrs. Trim Gimbal. I believe that you may have some news about her son Tab." Jammer looked over the Helitanker and gave a sad sigh. "And by the look of you, you do not have any good news to share with us."

"We were able to locate the crash site, and were too late to render any assistance." Blade chose his words carefully, trying to let the woman know that her boy was gone while not dragging her threw all the gory details. Still, he was not prepared when she gave a harsh wracking sob.

"If it is any comfort," Blade began echoing the words that Maru had said earlier, "my bases mechanic examined the remains, and he was killed on impact. While we will have to wait for the TMST final report, I am fairly certain that your son wasn't in pain when he passed. The incident happened so quickly he was probably gone before he even had time to realize that he had crashed."

"Thank you for the report." Jammer's words were heart felt, but it did little to ease Blades discomfort with the situation.

"If there is nothing else, I probably should get back to my team. I would like to be on site when the TMST agents arrive."

"Understood." Jammer said with a slight bob, on his tires, and then he turned his full attention on the grieving helicopter. "Do you have any other questions?"

Shakily, the helicopter indicated no, and Blade allowed his attention to fully focus on the situation at hand. As he turned his nose towards the crash site, he could see where Cabbie was circling, protecting the airspace. The twin-tailed aircraft not only provided the first responder's with a visual landmark and operational security, but the old warplane also leant the recovery process an air of calm respect. Almost like the C-119 was acting like an honor guard. It was a beautiful thought, but Blade didn't have time to dwell on it. He needed to get back to work.

"Thank you…" The helicopter said, her voice only slightly above a whisper before Blade could fully spin up.

"We are just doing our job ma'am. If there is anything else that we can do for you and your family, please let us know." With that Blade took to the skies secure in the knowledge that while responding to fatal crashes was one of the worst parts of his job, bringing some level of comfort to the living by caring for the dead was literally one of the most important.

* * *

 _ **Term**_ \- Wire Strike-  _Considered one of the most common and most dangerous dangers to helicopters, wires are the most common cause of fatal helicopter crashes. Search and rescue, medical, police, and military aircraft are at the highest risk of being taken out by a power line or other wire because they operate at low altitudes. That said every helicopter pilot needs to be constantly paying attention to their surroundings to prevent wire strikes._


	24. X is for Xeric

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An expected storm allows the team to show their playful sides.

They had run out of words to describe just how dry it was weeks ago. The trees had become brittle tinder, the air stirred with a parched heat, and the river's shrunk to a trickle from thirst. Fear also grew in this xeric landscape, for firefighters knew that it would only take a single spark to turn the forest around them into a raging inferno.

Then the wind shifted, and dark clouds blossomed. The smell of ozone, sagebrush, and wet soil hung heavy in the air, while the crash of thunder echoed from the mountain peaks. A sane vehicle would have retreated indoors to avoid the storm, but few would consider the members of the Piston Peak Air Attack Team to be completely sane. So instead of fleeing in the face of nature's power, they reveled in it.

Blade was the most reserved. The helicopter sat, half sheltered by the overhang of his hanger, half exposed the full force of the elements. At first, he watched the sky watching for lightning strikes, trying to predict which flash of light would cause the tinder-dry forest to burst into flame. But, as the clouds opened and a month's worth of water fell the Chief turned his attention from the sky to his base. Like a protective parent, he watched as his team took a much-needed break.

In contrast with Blade, the Smokejumpers were incredibly vocal with their glee. They chase each other in the torrent, enjoying how their treads squished and slipped in the newly made mud, savoring the ability to get completely filthy only to have the rain wash away the dirt and allow them to begin again. Dipper too enjoyed the swelling mud puddles and the Goose was soon chasing the ground pounders in and around the hangers in an ad hoc game of tag.

Windlifter approached the storm with his normal, quiet reserve. For several long minutes he would just sit, his face tilted ever so slightly upward. Then in a burst of motion he would shake his rotors, causing tiny droplets to cascade in every direction. A few yards away, Cabbie just sat in the middle of the runway, eyes closed as he listened to the music that the rain played across his outstretched wings. Even Patch took a moment to leave her protected perch to soak in this moment of joy.

Only Maru stood apart. Nursing a can of midgrade, he grinned at the antics of everyone on base from the shelter of his mechanics bay. As the storm ebbed, the mechanic picked his way to the main hanger and started to power up the coffee maker. While the storm had provided the team with a much needed release, it was only a matter of time before they realized that they were chilled to the frame.

* * *

 _ **Term-**_  Xeric-  _Xeric refers to an incredibly dry environment. Xeric landscapes are particularly prone to explosive wildfires._


	25. Y is for Yaw

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dusty thought he knew everything about racing...until he saw his first helicopter race.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have never heard of helicopter racing, take a moment a google it. I only found out that it existed from my favorite helicopter crew podcast and now youtube keeps on suggesting new races for me to watch.

Dusty thought he knew practically everything there was about air racing. He knew how to slice through pylons and build up speed in loops. He was comfortable maximizing both his speed and style scores on every single run. He knew which moves he could get away with and which ones would slam him with a penalty. Yes, Dusty Crophopper thought that he was on top of his game…until he saw his first video of helicopter racing.

Unlike planes who had a staggered start for the race, the helicopters started with a hover and when the signal to start began they dived towards the ground. Each aircraft were trying to pick up speed and take the inside line of the course. It was a critical advantage because in a helicopter race, the aircraft were only allowed to pass on the outside edge.

While the speed and intensity of the race kept Dusty on the edge of his tires, it was the maneuverability that each helicopter showed on the course that captured his imagination. Yes, the helicopters were moving at a snail's when compared with the speeds seen in fixed-wing races, but it didn't matter.

A helicopter race was not just a match of speed and maneuverability; it was a quick paced a battle of wits. It was impossible to take your eyes off of the racers as they swung around the triangle shaped course, each aircraft using their ability to yaw on a pin for perfect effect.

"So…can you do that?" Dusty asked his viewing campaign with awe.

"Can I fly like that?" Blade said with a flat tone. "Yes. Am I ever going to fly like that? The answer most definitely  ** _no_**."

* * *

 _ **Term**_ \- Yaw-  _When an aircraft or moving ship moves around a vertical axis._


	26. Z is for Zulu Brief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some members of the Air Attack Team get a well deserved nap.

* * *

The Piston Peak Air Attack Team was not the superintendent's personal gofers…not that Cad Spinner had figured that out yet. Unfortunately between the firefighting, search and rescue, lodge construction, and a list of little errands that the SUV kept coming up with several members of the Air Attack Team started to feel really warn down…which, of course, meant that Maru had to put his tire down.

"I am sorry, but Cabbie is not available at the moment. He is currently participating in a mandatory Zulu brief." Maru informed the first person who was assigned to do pass on Cad's messages.

"Zulu brief?" Jammer asked, clearly curious.

"Code word for a nap." Maru explained in a conspiratorial tone. "Between the day and the night flying, Cabbie has pretty much flown himself ragged. I've ordered him to clock out for a couple of hours."

"Ah, that seems like a particularly useful term. Mind if I use it sometimes?"

"As long as Cad doesn't catch on, Zulu brief away."

* * *

The following week proved to be a tough one. A brush fire got out of control; then a cloudburst hit the denuded slopes causing an impressive landslide. Every single member of the team busted their afts to respond to the emergency and everyone was running pretty low on sleep. Things were bad enough that Blade wasn't too surprised when Cad tried to page him to complain about the mess. But before he could respond, something did surprise him happened.

"I am sorry, but the Air Attack Team is on an important Zulu brief. They will be unavailable for the next five to six hours." Ranger Jammer said, his voice was practically sucrose sweet. "Would you like me to notify you when they become available?"

Cad whined and complained that things didn't happen on his timescale, but Jammer held his ground and eventually the Superintendent gave in. Leaving Blade to make a mental note on how he could thank Ranger Jammer as the Helitanker finally got a well-deserved nap.

* * *

 _ **Term-**_  Zulu Brief-  _Zulu Brief is a leader mandated nap._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well we have made it to the end of another advent calendar. As always, I hoped you enjoyed it, even if my travels really messed with the posting schedule. If as you were reading this story came up with an idea you would like included in next year's advent calendar, please drop me a line. I would love to tell the stories that you would like to hear. Until then, this is C-130 signing off. See you in 2019!


End file.
